What to use: 2 part clear epoxy or 2 part Poly

[landonshaw]

I am trying to see what to use if I change how I finish some outside teak on the sailboat. They are two flat boards that I have been using teak oil on. Now that we are in shutdown I have been polishing and waxing everything. I have found that under these boards, after a rain, there is faint teak oil spots. Clean and after the next rain they appear again. They were lightly oiled months ago.

I have thought to clean the boards and cover with a varnish. I did this years ago and ended up removing it after a few years. A friend recommended to use a 2 part epoxy or a 2 part Poly-urethne. I am in Grenada and the boards are constantly in the sun.

These products are available here both with UV protective additive. Epoxy is West System or Sea Hawk. The Poly is Epifanes.

Recommendations on what to do, how to apply, and if Epoxy, which manufacturer?

With varnish I use multiple coats, with this change, do you also apply many coats?

Thanks
Aloisius.
Dave

[SVHarmonie]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

I am trying to see what to use if I change how I finish some outside teak on the sailboat. They are two flat boards that I have been using teak oil on. Now that we are in shutdown I have been polishing and waxing everything. I have found that under these boards, after a rain, there is faint teak oil spots. Clean and after the next rain they appear again. They were lightly oiled months ago.

I have thought to clean the boards and cover with a varnish. I did this years ago and ended up removing it after a few years. A friend recommended to use a 2 part epoxy or a 2 part Poly-urethne. I am in Grenada and the boards are constantly in the sun.

These products are available here both with UV protective additive. Epoxy is West System or Sea Hawk. The Poly is Epifanes.

Recommendations on what to do, how to apply, and if Epoxy, which manufacturer?

With varnish I use multiple coats, with this change, do you also apply many coats?

Thanks
Aloisius.
Dave

You can find lots of good technical information about this on West System website. Go read. Short answer: Epoxy NEEDS to be covered with varnish to protect it from UV. Epoxy is a quick and easy way to build thickness to get an awesome finish, but is not a finish in itself. It needs multiple coats of exterior varnish over it.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by landonshaw

I am trying to see what to use if I change how I finish some outside teak on the sailboat. They are two flat boards that I have been using teak oil on. Now that we are in shutdown I have been polishing and waxing everything. I have found that under these boards, after a rain, there is faint teak oil spots. Clean and after the next rain they appear again. They were lightly oiled months ago.

I have thought to clean the boards and cover with a varnish. I did this years ago and ended up removing it after a few years. A friend recommended to use a 2 part epoxy or a 2 part Poly-urethne. I am in Grenada and the boards are constantly in the sun.

These products are available here both with UV protective additive. Epoxy is West System or Sea Hawk. The Poly is Epifanes.

Recommendations on what to do, how to apply, and if Epoxy, which manufacturer?

With varnish I use multiple coats, with this change, do you also apply many coats?

Thanks
Aloisius.
Dave

IME, epoxy is very UV sensitive and becomes less so with UV additives but never becomes UV stable.

An exterior grade 2 part poly is far more UV stable but does not seal as well as epoxy.

I did get very good results on a tiller by using a UV resistant epoxy (three coats) followed by six coats of a UV stable two part polyurethane clear coat. It lasted maybe 7 years before losing its shine and maybe another 3 years before breaking down enough to allow for the wood/epoxy bond to fail.

[landonshaw]

Any thought to epoxy, 3 layers then 3 layers of varnish? Epoxy use the 207, it seems to be the highest UV protective available in the west systems line

[Wotname]

IMO - 3 coats of epoxy is good but 3 coats of the varnish is not enough. It really depends on how long you want it to last before reapplying.

[Bill O]

Heard many dissatisfied people that did the epoxy w/an overlay of varnish or poly and they would never do it again.

If you do a good varnish/poly job w/annual maintenance coats, it will last similarly (~7 yrs) before you need to strip it off. You then don't have the pain of getting the epoxy off so the next job looks good.

As mentioned, many use the epoxy as a build up material/short cut to get the thickness build up. Maybe this is the main mistake and why they fail prematurely when there are not enough top coats. IMO wouldn't do it.

[rslifkin]

I gave the Interlux Perfection Plus 2 part varnish a try on my pulpit teak over the winter. So far so good. It looks good after 6 coats. I'm hoping the stuff is as durable as some say it is and given enough coats, I can just ignore it for a few years before sanding and re-coating.

[Poeme]

Smith's Restorer is a 2 part epoxy that soaks into teak like water...claims to bond to wood's cellular structure, providing varnish the best grip possible. I'm doing my wheel right now...finishing with Pettit 2015 high gloss which claims very strong UV protection. Have maybe 4 more coats of varnish to go, expecting very good results. That Smith's Restorer though, use respirator, brain-damage level fumes.

[Poeme]

PS: Should mention I applied 2 treatments of Smith's Restorer before varnishing. This idea isn't original with me...I'm following the lead of two friends who use this procedure, and by sanding very lightly and varnishing one a coat per season, have kept their exterior teak in stunning condition for pushing a decade that I know of...

[bcboomer]

Originally Posted by Poeme

PS: Should mention I applied 2 treatments of Smith's Restorer before varnishing. This idea isn't original with me...I'm following the lead of two friends who use this procedure, and by sanding very lightly and varnishing one a coat per season, have kept their exterior teak in stunning condition for pushing a decade that I know of...

By "once a season" do you mean once a year or spring, summer, fall, winter?
If the latter, why not put on 6 or 7 coats?

[Poeme]

Originally Posted by bcboomer

By "once a season" do you mean once a year or spring, summer, fall, winter?
If the latter, why not put on 6 or 7 coats?

Meant once a year...

[bcboomer]

That sounds really good. Any idea what varnish?

[jmschmidt]

I have used a simple process with good success in a tropical climate. After sanding (and filling if necessary) with 150 grit I brush on a coat of clear epoxy thinned about 30%. This watery mix seeps deep into the grain and seals it. After it cures it looks like hell. Not to worry, sand it smooth with 150 again. Next I brush on another coat of epoxy , this time thinned only 10% or so. This coat bonds well with sanded first coat. After curing, sand again with 150. These two coats provide and excellent level varnish base. Then brush on 3 or 4 coats of spar varnish, 2-part LP varnish is even better. I've done it both ways. Both will last for years but I recommend a maintenance coat each year.

[gonesail]

the problem with 2 part base coat is when it needs to come off .. let's just say it won't be very easy compared to regular varnish

[Cheechako]

What are the boards actually used for? Can you use white paint? Far better in the sun than varnish or epoxy.